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BICYCLE CASINO
LEGENDS OF POKER
The famous Bicycle Casino in downtown Los Angeles, California is the site of
the first TRUE poker tournament of the season for the World Poker Tour.
Last year, only 89 players coughed up the $5,000 entry to compete in this
tournament. But, thanks to the publicity the WPT has given it, a whopping
309 poker players - including quite a few celebrities, since this IS Hollywood -
coughed up the entry fee. Through three days of grueling competition, six
have emerged to compete in the Final Table for their share of the $1,545,000
prize pool...and the almost-$600,000 First Place prize!
The six left are quite the eclectic group. Take a look for yourselves:
| PLAYER |
CHIP COUNT |
Paul Phillips
Nicknamed "Dot-Com", since he's a retired internet
millionaire |
$657,000 |
T.J. Cloutier
One of the best tournament poker players in history |
$329,500 |
Phil Laak
Born in Ireland; nicknamed the "Unabomber" for his
wardrobe |
$176,000 |
Farzad "Fred" Bonyadi
Born in Iran; high-stakes poker professional |
$150,500 |
Mel Judah
Hairdresser turned poker pro (no kidding; Vidal Sassoon grad, no
less) |
$143,500 |
Chip Jett
Two-time WPT Finalist, include 2nd Place at Party Poker Million
II |
$89,500 |
Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patton
are ready for the call, seeing the hole cards with the WPT Cams...and the tournament
director tells the Finalists to SHUFFLE UP AND DEAL!
Initial ante is $500 and blinds are $2,500
(SB) and $5,000 (BB). The Dealer Button (D) starts on Fred.
| Chip |
Phil |
Mel |
Fred (D) |
Paul (SB) |
T.J. (BB) |
| Q♦ Q♣ | A♦ 7♦ | 10♣ 5♠ | K♣ J♣ | 7♠ 4♥ | 5♠ 4♠ | | Raises
to $20,000 | FOLD | FOLD | FOLD | FOLD | FOLD | | WIN
$30,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Only Phil
and Fred had a mild chance against Chip's "West
Hollywood". That's because both had "overcards", or
cards higher than a Queen which COULD be paired-up with a community card to
make a higher pair. |
| Paul |
Mel |
Fred |
Phil (D) |
T.J. (SB) |
Chip (BB) |
| 8♣ 2♠ | 9♦ 4♦ | 8♥ 2♣ | A♠ J♦ | 5♠ 5♦ | A♣ 4♣ | | FOLD | FOLD | FOLD | Raises to
$16,500 | Raises to $56,500 | FOLD | |
|
|
ALL-IN
$149,000 |
FOLD |
|
|
|
|
WIN
$213,500 |
|
|
| Betting is a
crucial part of No-Limit Hold 'Em. It was a virtual coin flip
between Phil and T.J., but Phil going "all-in" and betting all
his chips on has "Ajax" versus T.J.'s fives made the difference
before a flop could be seen. |
| CURRENT CHIP COUNT
|
| Paul Phillips |
$717,000 | | Phil Laak | $295,500 |
| T.J. Cloutier | $228,500 |
| Mel Judah | $120,500 |
| Fred Bonyadi | $97,500 |
| Chip Jett | $87,500 |
Antes have gone up to $1000 and blinds are now $4000 (SB) and $8000 (BB).
| T.J. |
Chip |
Paul |
Mel (D) |
Fred (SB) |
Phil (BB) |
| K♥ 9♦ | Q♣ 8♠ | J♣ 2♣ | 9♣ 7♦ | J♠ 8♥ | 5♠ 5♣ | | FOLD | FOLD | Raises to
$24,000 | FOLD | FOLD | Calls
$16,000 | | Phil
has the "speed limit" (55), a decent hand...but it's still a
relative coin flip against Paul's "overcard" (Jack). | | FLOP: A♥ 7♣ K♣ | | Paul
has a flush draw, needing another club to catch a flush. Phil's
still ahead, but only 56% to 44% | |
|
|
|
|
Bets $31,000 |
|
|
Calls $31,000 |
|
|
| TURN: 9♠ |
| Phil is now a 3-to-1
favorite. Paul needs a club or a Jack to win. | |
|
|
|
|
CHECK |
|
|
CHECK |
|
|
RIVER: 4♠
COMMUNITY: A♥ K♣ 9♠ 7♣ 4♠ | |
|
|
|
|
CHECK |
|
|
Raises to $80,000 |
|
|
FOLD |
|
|
WIN
$200,000 |
|
|
|
| Here, Paul shows the
crowd the winning bluff...and Phil does NOT like it. |
| CURRENT CHIP COUNT | | Paul Phillips | $757,000 | | T.J. Cloutier | $269,500 | | Phil Laak | $184,000 | | Fred Bonyadi | $147,500 | | Mel Judah | $119,500 | | Chip Jett | $68,500 |
| Chip | Paul | Mel | Fred (D) | Phil (SB) | T.J. (BB) |
| 9♥ 8♣ |
4♦ 2♠ |
J♠ 4♠ |
9♠ 5♦ |
7♠ 7♦ |
A♥ 10♠ |
| FOLD |
FOLD |
FOLD |
FOLD |
Raises to $25,000 |
ALL-IN
$268,500 |
|
|
|
|
ALL-IN
$183,000 |
| They play
"table stakes"; if one player has less chip than another, the
other can't lose more than what the first one puts in. In this case,
T.J.'s bet is lowered to match Phil's all-in bet. T.J. will still be
in the tournament if he loses, but Phil will be out if HE loses. T.J.
is a 55% favorite to win, thanks to his overcards. |
| FLOP: 5♣ 10♥ 3♠ |
| T.J. flopped a
pair of tens, beating Phil's sevens. At this point, T.J. is a 9-to-1
fave. |
|
TURN: 4♠ |
| NOW, Phil has a
few more "outs", or cards that can win it for him. A 7 will
give him three of a kind, while a 6 will give him a straight. |
| RIVER: J♦ |
| | | | 7♠ 7♦
J♦ 10♥
5♣ | 10♠
10♥ A♥ J♦
5♣ |
| | | | OUT
- 6th Place | WIN
$372,000 |
| If you lose a hand
while "all-in", you're out of the tournament. Almost all
tournaments divide the money put in by all the players and divide them among
those who place highest. The higher the placing, the bigger percentage
of the pool is given. In this case, Phil receives 3.5% of the over
$1.5 million in the pool. The winner gets 37.5%, an over $520,000
difference. |
| Fred | T.J. | Chip (D) | Paul (SB) | Mel (BB) |
| K♣ J♠ |
9♥ 9♦ |
A♣ K♦ |
8♣ 4♥ |
????? |
| Raises to $24,000 |
Raises to $104,000 |
ALL-IN
$31,500 |
FOLD |
FOLD |
| FOLD |
|
|
|
Again, T.J.'s bet
is lowered to match Chip's all-in.
Fred's hand (K-J) is called "Kojak"...and Fred, with his bald
head, LOOKS like Telly Savalis. :) |
FLOP: 2♥ 5♠ A♥
TURN: 4♣ |
| T.J. needs another
9 to beat Chip. If a 3 comes off, there will be a straight on the
Board and the pot will be split. |
| RIVER: 8♥ |
|
9♥ 9♦ A♥
8♥ 5♠ |
A♣ A♥
K♦ 8♥
5♠ |
|
|
|
|
WIN
$104,000 |
|
|
| Normally, I would
say Chip has "doubled-up", meaning he doubled his chip count on an
all-in bet. But, because of the $24,000 put in by Fred before he
folded as well as the blinds, Chip has more than TRIPLED-up! |
| CURRENT CHIP COUNT | | Paul Phillips | $838,000 | | T.J. Cloutier | $394,000 | | Fred Bonyadi | $160,000 | | Chip
Jett | $121,000 | | Mel Judah | $33,000 |
| T.J. | Chip | Paul (D) | Mel (SB) | Fred (BB) |
| A♥ J♥ |
5♣ 4♥ |
A♣ 4♦ |
Q♠ Q♥ |
J♦ 8♥ |
| Raises to $24,000 |
FOLD |
FOLD |
ALL-IN
$32,000 |
FOLD |
| Calls $8,000 |
|
|
|
FLOP: K♦ 8♣ 2♣
TURN: 6♥
RIVER: K♠ |
| K♠ K♦ A♥ J♥
8♣ |
|
|
K♦ K♠
Q♠ Q♥ 8♣ |
|
|
|
|
WIN
$77,000 |
|
| CURRENT CHIP COUNT |
| Paul Phillips | $874,000 |
| T.J. Cloutier | $396,000 |
| Fred Bonyadi | $127,000 |
| Chip Jett | $90,000 |
| Mel Judah | $59,000 |
Antes have gone up to $1,500 and blinds are now
$6,000 (SB) and $12,000 (BB).
| Chip | Paul | Mel (D) | Fred (SB) | T.J. (BB) |
| Q♦ 6♠ |
7♦ 3♠ |
K♠ 3♦ |
J♣ 9♥ |
J♥ 7♥ |
| FOLD |
FOLD |
FOLD |
Calls $6,000 |
CHECK |
| Fred
already has $6,000 in on the Small Blind, so he needs only call another
$6,000. T.J. has $12,000 in on the Big Blind, so he can
"check", or not bet. You're not obligated to put any more in
the pot unless someone bets before you or raises your bet. Otherwise,
you may check. Fred and T.J. are in what is called a "battle of
the blinds". |
| FLOP: 7♣ J♠ 10♣ |
| T.J. has flopped two
pair. However, since Fred still has an overcard (a 9) and an inside
straight draw", T.J. is only a 56% favorite to win. |
|
|
|
CHECK |
Raises to $24,000 |
|
|
|
Raises to $104,000 |
ALL-IN
$369,000 |
|
|
|
ALL-IN
$187,500 |
| TURN: 4♦ |
| T.J. is now a 77%
favorite. Fred needs a 9 to make a better two pair or an 8 to make a
straight. |
| RIVER: A♦ |
|
|
|
OUT
- 5th place |
WIN
$414,500 |
| CURRENT CHIP COUNT |
| Paul Phillips | $787,500 |
| T.J. Cloutier | $601,500 |
| Mel Judah | $92,500 |
| Chip Jett | $64,500 |
| Chip | Paul (D) | Mel (SB) | T.J. (BB) |
| 10♠ 3♥ |
Q♣ Q♥ |
Q♠ 7♦ |
A♥ J♦ |
| FOLD |
Raises to $35,000 |
FOLD |
Calls $23,000 |
| FLOP: 2♦ J♣ 6♣ |
| Despite flopping
top pair, T.J. is still an 81% underdog. |
|
|
|
CHECK |
|
Raises to $100,000 |
|
Calls $100,000 |
| TURN: 9♣ |
| Paul has a flush
draw now, making him a 91% favorite. |
|
|
|
Raises to $200,000 |
|
FOLD |
|
|
|
|
|
WIN
$482,000 |
| Despite being an over
9-to-1 underdog, T.J. bluffed Paul out of the pot. Paul must have
thought T.J. was betting a flush, since three clubs were on the Board. |
| CURRENT CHIP COUNT |
| T.J. Cloutier | $762,000 |
| Paul Phillips | $660,000 |
| Mel Judah | $82,000 |
| Chip Jett | $42,000 |
| T.J. | Chip (D) | Paul (SB) | Mel (BB) |
| 4♦ 2♠ |
K♠ 9♠ |
K♣ Q♥ |
A♦ 3♥ |
| FOLD |
ALL-IN
$40,500 |
Calls $34,500 |
FOLD |
| FLOP: 6♣ 2♣ J♠ |
|
|
CHECK |
|
| TURN: 8♦ |
|
|
CHECK |
|
| RIVER: 3♣ |
|
K♠
J♠ 9♠ 8♦
6♣ |
K♣ Q♥ J♠
8♦ 6♣ |
|
|
OUT
- 4th Place |
WIN
$99,000 |
|
| Yup, you're
reading this correctly. Paul won and KOed Chip without the benefit of
a pair. His King-Queen high-card hand beats Chip's King-Jack
high-card. |
| CURRENT CHIP COUNT |
| Paul Phillips | $775,500 |
| T.J. Cloutier | $711,000 |
| Mel Judah | $59,500 |
| T.J. (D) | Paul (SB) | Mel (BB) |
| 3♠ 3♥ |
10♣ 5♦ |
K♠ 10♠ |
| Raises to $28,000 |
FOLD |
ALL-IN
$58,000 |
| Calls $30,000 |
|
| T.J. is only a
slight fave with his "crabs" against Mel's "woodcutter"
(K-10 = "cuttin'"). |
| FLOP: 5♥ 9♦ 10♦ |
| And that's
why. Mel flopped top pair. T.J. needs a 3. |
TURN: 8♠
RIVER: A♠ |
| 3♠ 3♥ A♠
10♦ 9♦ |
|
10♠ 10♦
A♠ K♠ 9♦ |
|
|
WIN
$126,500 |
| T.J. has
doubled-up somebody again. |
| T.J. (D) | Paul (SB) | Mel (BB) |
| A♠ 10♣ |
Q♣ 10♠ |
K♣ J♥ |
| Raises to $30,000 |
FOLD |
ALL-IN
$116,000 |
| Calls $86,000 |
|
FLOP: 3♥ 7♣ 3♠
TURN: Q♠ |
| A King or a Jack is needed or
Mel is gone. |
| RIVER: J♣ |
| 3♥ 3♠
A♠ Q♠
J♣ |
|
J♥ J♣
3♥ 3♠
K♣ |
|
|
WIN
$242,500 |
| And, yet again, T.J. doubles
somebody up! |
| CURRENT CHIP COUNT |
| Paul Phillips | $896,500 |
| T.J. Cloutier | $429,500 |
| Mel Judah | $220,000 |
Antes have gone up to $2,000 and blinds are now $10,000 (SB) and
$20,000 (BB).
| Mel (D) | T.J. (SB) | Paul (BB) |
| Q♥ 9♣ |
8♣ 2♣ |
J♠ 10♣ |
| Calls $20,000 |
FOLD |
CHECK |
| FLOP: Q♦ 9♠ 6♥ |
|
|
CHECK |
| Raises to $30,000 |
|
ALL-IN
$709,000 |
ALL-IN
$151,000 |
|
| Paul's
bet is lowered to match Mel's all-in. Mel has two pair, but Paul has
an open-ended straight draw. |
| TURN: J♦ |
| Now
Paul has several outs. A King or an 8 would make a straight, and
another Jack would make three-of-a-kind to beat Mel's two pair. |
| RIVER: Q♣ |
| But a Queen?
That would make a full house...for Mel. |
| Q♥
Q♦ Q♣
9♣ 9♠ |
|
Q♦ Q♣
J♠ J♦ 10♣ |
| WIN
$358,000 |
|
|
| CURRENT CHIP COUNT |
| T.J. Cloutier | $666,000 |
| Paul Phillips | $544,000 |
| Mel Judah | $336,000 |
| T.J. (D) | Paul (SB) | Mel (BB) |
| 2♦ 2♣ |
K♠
Q♠ |
A♠ Q♣ |
| FOLD |
Calls $10,000 |
Raises to $100,000 |
|
ALL-IN
$672,000 |
ALL-IN
$326,000 |
| It's a
"Marriage" (K-Q) vs. Big Chick (A-Q). Mel is a modest
favorite. |
FLOP: 6♦ 3♦ J♥
TURN: 10♦ |
| At the flop, Mel
was a 70% fave. At the turn, he became a 77% fave. He has a
gut-buster straight draw in need of a King. However, Paul's straight
draw is open-ended, needing an Ace OR a 9. He can also win with a
King. |
RIVER: 7♣
COMMUNITY: 6♦ 3♦ J♥ 10♦ 7♣ |
|
K♠
Q♠ J♥ 10♦ 7♣ |
A♠ Q♣
J♥ 10♦ 7♣ |
|
|
WIN
$658,000 |
| Mel has doubled-up
FIVE TIMES so far at the Final Table. |
Antes have gone up to $3,000 and blinds are now $15,000 (SB) and
$30,000 (BB).
| Mel (D) | T.J. (SB) | Paul (BB) |
| 4♥ 2♥ |
J♥ J♣ |
7♥ 7♦ |
| FOLD |
Raises to $75,000 |
ALL-IN
$472,000 |
|
ALL-IN
$420,000 |
| T.J.
is a 4-to-1 favorite with his "hooks" against Paul's
"red-headed mullets". |
FLOP: 2♥ A♦ 5♣
TURN: 7♠ |
| Paul has hit the
"slot machine" (7-7-7)! T.J. needs another Jack or he's
out. Paul is a 19-to-1 fave now. |
| RIVER: 6♦ |
|
J♥ J♣ A♦ 7♠6♦ |
7♥ 7♦ 7♠
A♦ 6♦ |
|
OUT
- 3rd Place |
WIN
$849,000 |
So we're down to two: "Dot-Com" vs. the hairdress.
And you know what THAT means: HEADS-UP! Winner get over $570,000
and a WPT Championship buy-in. So let's SHUFFLE UP AND DEAL!
| CURRENT CHIP COUNT |
| Paul Phillips | $850,000 |
| Mel Judah | $696,000 |
| Paul (SB) | Mel (D) (BB) |
| 3♥ 3♠ |
9♣ 8♥ |
| Calls $15000 |
CHECK |
| FLOP: 10♦ 2♣ K♣ |
|
CHECK |
| CHECK |
| TURN: 10♣ |
| Paul has two pair, but
Mel is on a flush draw. |
|
CHECK |
| Raises to $30,000 |
Calls $30,000 |
RIVER: 7♣
COMMUNITY: 10♦ 10♣ K♣ 7♣
2♣ |
| Mel's made his flush
and has won this hand! |
|
CHECK |
| CHECK |
| 10♣ 10♦ 3♥ 3♠ K♣ |
K♣
10♣ 9♣ 7♣ 2♣ |
|
WIN
$126,000 |
| Paul (SB) | Mel (D) (BB) |
| J♥ 2♥ |
9♥ 7♠ |
| Raises to $90,000 |
Calls $60,000 |
| FLOP: 6♥ 3♠ A♥ |
| Paul has a nut flush
draw, needing another heart to make an Ace-high straight. |
|
CHECK |
| CHECK |
| TURN: 5♦ |
| Things just got
interesting. Both have made an inside straight draw...and both need a
4 to pull it off. But, if the 4 DOES come off, Mel will have a
seven-high straight, superior to Paul's "wheel" or five-high
straight. If a 4 of HEARTS shows up, though, Paul would have made a flush,
which beats ANY straight. |
|
CHECK |
| CHECK |
RIVER: 4♠
COMMUNITY: 6♥ 3♠ A♥ 5♦ 4♠ |
|
ALL-IN
$834,000 |
| Both players have made
their straight. But if Paul calls this and goes all-in himself, Mel wins
the tournament. |
ALL-IN
$526,000 |
| 6♥ 5♦
4♠ 3♠ 2♥ |
7♠ 6♥ 5♦
4♠ 3♠ |
| OUT
- 2nd Place |
TOURNAMENT
WINNER |
| 1ST |
MEL
JUDAH |
$579,375 |
| 2nd |
PAUL PHILLIPS |
$293,550 |
| 3rd |
TJ, CLOUTIER |
$146,755 |
| 4th |
CHIP JETT |
$100,425 |
| 5th |
FRED BONYADI |
$69,525 |
| 6th |
PHIL LAAK |
$54,075 |
So the Aussie Mel Judah, the former hairdresser turned poker pro, wins
the first official WPT tournament of the year! He gets the lion's share of
the pool money and gets the coveted $25,000 buy-in into the Championship at the
end of the year!
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